FILM REVIEW: PROJECT HAIL MARY (12A) ESP RATING: 3.5/5
- Gavin Miller
- 39 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The first major blockbuster of the year is a truly impressive spectacle – even if it does get a little repetitive along its route.
This sci-fi adventure – from author Andy Weir (The Martian) – signals an impressive return to live-action from the directors behind the Spider-Man: Spider-Verse and The Lego Movie franchises.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had well-chronicled issues bringing the Solo: A Star Wars Story to the big-screen, but venture back into the galaxy to emphatically ‘right that wrong’ here – which has led to a very impressive opening weekend at the box-office.
In this epic journey, we see Ryan Gosling’s scientist Ryland Grace awaken from a coma discovering he’s the sole survivor of a three person crew – and realising he’s light years from Earth in a distant star system.
Struggling with amnesia, he remembers he’s a middle school science teacher and molecular biologist, and through flashbacks his back story pieces together the vital importance of his mission. Which is the not so small task of saving Earth.
That’s because scientists have observed the Sun dimming due to the formation of an infrared line from the star to the planet Venus – called the Petrova line – that causes a microorganism, known as Astrophage, increasing the population on the Sun’s surface.
This will in effect ‘eat away’ at the Sun, reducing the light that hits our home planet, causing catastrophic global ‘Ice Age-esque’ cooling on Earth within thirty years – which leads to Government agent Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller) recruiting Grace.
Fast forward multiples years, and it becomes clear Grace has been sent on a suicide mission – hence the project name ‘Hail Mary’ – to nearby star system Tau Ceti, the only star in our solar neighbourhood that hasn’t been infected by Astrophage.
But things become even more interesting on his approach to Tau Ceti, when he comes across a vast extra-terrestrial spacecraft – piloted by a rock-like five-legged alien from the star system 40 Eridani.
Fortunately, he isn’t hostile – with Grace naming the enchanting creature ‘Rocky’– and through various methods of communication it becomes clear they both have the same goal of trying to find out the mysteries in Tau Ceti, to save their homeworlds.
This leads to an affectionate – and sometimes endearingly comedic – camaraderie between the duo as they work through some serious obstacles to complete their missions. Even if Grace has a one-way ticket due to lack of fuel, and must send back any significant information back to Earth via probes.
There’s no doubting through the sensational visual effects, well-crafted storyline, and of course the burgeoning companionship between Grace/Rocky, this is generally an awe-inspiring movie.
But it does sporadically slip up in the editing department due to its run-time. It simply didn’t need to be this long. And if you’re more a casual film-goer compared to a potential sci-fi fan, it does unfortunately drag a bit at times.
Yes, the main friendship story is the warm ‘heart beat’ of the film, but it does border on being a bit self-absorbed through a few intermittent bouts of dullness, as Lord/Miller get lost in the spectacle, and forget to wrap it up in a bit more compact fashion. Which would have definitely helped the replay value.
But that’s one minor gripe to what is overall an excellent space opera – that undoubtedly deserves immense praise.
For just being an original project – and not a sequel or previous franchise – is refreshing enough in itself.
ESP Rating: 3.5/5
Gavin Miller
Odeon Luxe Peterborough & Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Ryan Gosling, James Ortiz, Sandra Huller, Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub & Ken Leung
Running Time: 2 Hr 36 Mins
Directors: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Film Review Venue: Odeon Luxe Imax Peterborough
For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Odeon Luxe & Showcase Cinema De Lux Cinemas go to www.odeon.co.uk and www.showcasecinemas.co.uk
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